The present invention relates to coffee makers and in particular to a coffee maker utilizing a stream of hot water through tamped ground coffee.
Coffee is generally prepared in a coffee maker by measuring an amount of ground coffee into a coffee filter, closing a lid over the ground coffee, and providing a stream of hot water through the loosely packed ground coffee. Unfortunately, water passes freely through the loosely packed ground coffee and does not obtain the full flavor which might otherwise be obtained.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/777,831 filed Jul. 13, 2007 for “Pod Adapter System for Single Service Beverage Brewers” by the present applicant overcomes this problem using pre-packaged coffee in closed filter paper commonly called a pod, and inserting the closed pod into a pod holder including a tamping spring and bottom tamper for tamping the pod between the bottom tamper and a coffee holder lid. While the pod adapter of the '831 application works well for coffee pods, it does not allow the simple use of bulk ground coffee not pre-packaged in the closed pod.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/610,181 filed Oct. 30, 2009 for “Self Tamping Coffee Holder” filed by the present applicant further discloses a coffee making apparatus and methods which provide a tamped packing of loose ground coffee thereby obtaining richer flavor. The Coffee maker includes a reservoir, a pump, a heater, and a check valve. Coffee grounds are first loosely deposited in a coffee holder and then tamped onto a compacted state. The coffee holder may be filled loosely with the coffee and then placed into the coffee making apparatus and compacted, or the coffee may be compacted in the coffee holder and then the coffee holder placed into the coffee making apparatus. The compacting may be by a spring or by a resilient solid material and may be part of the coffee holder or part of the coffee making apparatus.
Further, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/620,584 filed Nov. 17, 2009 for “Self Tamping Coffee Holder” filed by the present applicant further discloses a self-tamping coffee holder which tamps loose ground coffee obtaining richer flavor. The coffee holder includes a holder base and a holder cap. Coffee is loosely deposited in the coffee holder and the holder cap is attached to the holder base. An internal filter chamber holds the coffee and allows tamping of the coffee into a compacted state. The filter chamber may be formed by a fixed filter or by a removeable filter constructed of filter paper, nylon mesh, metal mesh, or any material capable of holding the coffee while allowing a flow of heated water through the coffee. The tamping may be by a spring or by a resilient solid material attached to the coffee holder and may push the coffee down inside the filter or push the filter and the coffee up against the holder lid.
While the 831, 181, and 584 patents successfully address tamping loose coffee, the coffee maker generally prepares a fixed quantity of coffee, either several cups of coffee to fill a carafe, or a single cup. Most users do not have space for multiple coffee makers so must pick between the multi-cup or single cup coffee makers.